Blog.

We’re 2 weeks into 2026. A time where goal setting and big life changes are being proclaimed on social media, or talked about among friends. People will say things like, “my goal is to lose 20 pounds this year”, or “my goal is to make $200,000”. Maybe you are one of those people. Year after year, I have been too, usually petering out by March or April, not knowing how to accomplish said goal. 

More recently, I have made a small mindset shift that has changed everything for me. It can be summed up with the mantra “the process is the goal”. This single thing has allowed me to achieve more of what I want, without feeling strained along the way. 

You hear people talk about this all the time, especially in sports. Scottie Scheffler, ranked #1 in the world of golf, talks about focusing on each shot individually, and letting go of the outcome. Eluid Kipchoge, the first runner to ever complete a marathon in under 2 hours, said “I don’t focus on records. I focus on running a good race.” Katie Ledecky, the most decorated American woman in Olympic history, gave the advice to a college graduating class “Fall in love with the process. Not the podium.” Of course, these athletes are all willing to admit they would like to win in their respective fields, but winning isn’t their daily focus. 

When I first started in real estate, I would make an income goal for the year, along with how many deals I wanted to complete, and some personal goals sprinkled in there as well. My list of goals was too long, and reading over it could easily make me feel overwhelmed. If these were my goals for the year, I could look forward to nine, ten, or eleven months of looking at my list and feeling like a failure. I hadn’t brought in all of the income, or completed all of the deals, or run the marathon yet. When the goal is an outcome or result, it too often causes a sense of anxiousness, discouragement, and a higher likelihood of burnout. So how can we make our 2026 goals less stress inducing, and give ourselves a higher chance of success?

I like to start by recognizing the parts of my life that are already going well. Take some time to express gratitude for where you are, and everything you have accomplished so far. Next is the part where you do get to think about the desired outcomes. Your wants. What does your dream life look like? Who are you with? What are you spending your time doing? How much money do you need to live this lifestyle? In addition to the what, think about the why. If your ‘want’ is to get 10,000 instagram followers, but the ‘why’ is for external validation, you might want to reconsider. Lastly, you’ll need to work backward. 

What does the process of achieving these desires look like? If you want to make ‘X’ amount of money, how many deals do you need to do? How many contracts do you need to close a deal? How many appointments do you need to go on to get a contract? How many calls do you need to make to get an appointment? 

This year, I have an idea of things I’d like to accomplish. I have an idea of how much money I’d like to make. I’ve thought about ways I can improve myself. But my goals look a little different. This year, I have two main goals- one business, and one personal.  My business goal is to have 10 meaningful conversations a week, and my personal goal is to move my body intentionally every day. That’s it. The process became the goal. 

Because I know if I do these two things, the bigger results will follow. If these simple things are the only goals, I’m giving myself a chance to succeed every day, not just at the end of the year. So every time I go to the gym instead of scrolling, or log into my business CRM instead of checking my email for the 4th time, I’ve accomplished the goal. Because for 2026, the process is the goal. And let me tell you what, that makes things a whole lot easier. 

Did you read this whole post? What did you think? Leave a comment 🙂